Mark Bittam's Autumn Bake

On my desktop I have a folder for recipes I would like to try and when ever I come across one that I would like to try I save a copy of it in there.  Today I was looking for a particular recipe I plan on making tomorrow for dinner and I came across this one.  I opened it because I couldn't remember what exactly was in it and it turned out I had everything I needed for it on hand so it became tonight's supper.
I must admit, I have never heard of Mark Bittam before seeing this recipe but I really liked how it turned out so I am might look for more of his recipes in the future.
Don't worry if you don't have any millet because it would work well with other slow cooking grains such as barley.

Mark Bittam's Autumn Bake

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup millet

1 medium winter squash; peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup cranberries

salt and pepper

1 tbsp minced sage leaves

2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

1 cup vegetable stock, warmed

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and oil a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil.  When it is heated add the millet and stir it as the millet becomes fragrant and turns a golden brown.  Remove from the heat and place as a layer on the bottom of the casserole dish.
3. In a bowl, toss together the squash, cranberries, sage, salt and pepper.  Once thoroughly mixed spread on top of the millet.
4. Drizzle the maple syrup on top and then pour the warmed stock over top.  Cover with a lid or tightly with tinfoil and bake undisturbed for 45 minutes.
5. Remove the cover and increase the oven temperature to 400.  Have a taste to see if you need to alter the seasoning or add extra water for the millet to finish cooking.  Bake for about another 10 minutes (or until the millet is cooked through).

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Growing up my aunt and uncle would have a big pumpkin carving party at their house and one of my favourite things about this party was enjoying my aunt's curried pumpkin soup.  It was always so flavourful and creamy.  I still had some pumpkins to use up so I thought I would make a batch now that  the colder weather has come to stay.  I was having some friends over and found a dairy free recipe so everyone could eat it.  The blend of spices in this recipe were wonderful, especially on the second day.
If you are new to cooking with pumpkins, the best ones to get are the proper sugar or baking pumpkins as they are tastier than the other varieties.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

2 onions, diced

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp ground cardamin 

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes (more if desired)

4 cups pureed sugar pumpkin pulk

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 can coconut milk

1. Cook onions in olive oil over a medium-low temperature, stirring occasionally, until they are tender.  Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute.  Add the spices and continue stirring for another minute.
2. Add the pepper flakes, pumpkins, water, broth and coconut milk.  Allow the soup to simmer over low heat for half an hour, stirring occasionally. 
3. Use a blender to puree the soup in batches.

Vegan Butterscotch Blonde

This recipe is based off another recipe I have posted before (Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake) but altered a little bit so it is something my sister can enjoy without having her allergens in it.  This experiment turned out very well, even my grandmother wanted the recipe so she could make it for her friends who were coming over to play bridge the following well.
I really like this recipe because there is not much mess to clean up and the food processor does most of the work for you.  Even though it is gluten free and vegan it tastes great. Most people won't believe you when you tell them what it is made up of.
I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!
You can make this recipe without adding the white sugar and it still tastes great.

Vegan Butterscotch Blonde

1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 bananas

3/4 cups white sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. Place the butterscotch chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until the butterscotch is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.
3. Combine the beans and bananas in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted butterscotch and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

White Wine Pasta Sauce

This is one of those trying to use up ingredients in the fridge type of recipes.  I was looking through a cook book of mine and found a recipe for a mushroom stroganoff and it looked tasty so I decided to make it.  When I looked at the recipe closer it called for a white wine sauce but did not have one anywhere in the book.  I searched online and this is what I came up with.  The sauce on its own is very nice but it is also great when you add some mushrooms and onions to it.
If you would like a thicker sauce you can add some flour or cornstarch.

White Wine Pasta Sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

5 tbsp butter

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped flat leafed parsley

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1. Heat olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Add garlic and sauté until golden.
3. Add the butter, black pepper and white wine. stirring to combine.
4. Remove from heat, adding the parsley and cheese before using on pasta.

White Sauce

I like using this white sauce as a base for many things and it is very easy to add extra flavours into.  I wanted to make a casserole to use up extra turkey and I don't like using canned soups because of all the 'extras' found in the commercial varieties.  

The milk will blend more readily if it is pre warmed.

White Sauce

5 tbsp butter

4 tbsp four

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

1. Melt the butter in an heavy saucepan over a low heat.
2. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until well blended.
3. Remove from heat and add the milk.  Stirring it constantly to blend.
4. Return to heat and cook, stirring until the sauce has thickened and is smooth.

Maple Baked Acorn Squash

I love squash! They are tasty, filling and easy to prepare.  They are the perfect side dish to a meal because you just need to scoop out the seeds, put it in some butter and seasoning and then through it in the oven to bake while you make the other parts of the meal.
This year we are in luck because the vines produced plenty so we have lots to enjoy.

Maple Baked Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Score the inside of the squash and place cut side up in a baking dish filled with 1/4 inch of water.
3. Coat the inside with 1/2 tbsp of butter, sprinkle the brown sugar over the surface and drizzle the maple syrup over top.
4. Bake for about an hour, until the flesh has softened and slightly browned.
5. Spoon any excess sauce over the flesh before serving.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

The amount of sodium, additives and preservatives in prepackaged food drives me crazy and I prefer to make my own seasoning if I can.  I came across this recipe online and I was very excited to try it.  It really is just a guideline on how to start but you can always play with the portions of each ingredient until you are happy with the taste.
It works great on meats and if you want to spice up your grated cheese in dishes.  We toss grated cheese in it to make a tex-mex cheese for nachos.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Use a mortar and pestle to blend the ingredients together.  If you have any extra, store in an air tight container.